The Heart of Non-Transparent Law
by Odna Zvezda
Summary: A high ranking member of the Thieves Guild is sent to observe one of their splinter groups. Its a boring assignment until one night, when the crew-master calls a meeting and the Observer, along with two others, are sent to Summerset Island for a new business venture. There its discovered that not only there is still much to learn about the world, but about oneself as well.
1. Chapter 1

Full Summary:

_A high ranking member of the Hew's Bane Thieves Guild believes that nothing exists that hasn't been seen or done before. So, when sent to Rawl'kha as an observer to one of their splinter groups, who insist on referring to themselves as a 'crew' rather than a guild, the only expectation is more of the same. Some heists, a few scams, maybe even blackmail and extortion. This turns out to be true.  
Until one night, when the crew-master calls a meeting and the Observer, along with a couple of crew members, are sent to Summerset Island for a new business venture.  
There it will be discovered that not only is there still have much to learn about the world, but about oneself as well._

_I know in the beginning it seems like there are a lot of OCs here, but I promise as the story goes on, more and more familiar characters will appear and take on major roles._

_In the meantime, as a new writer, I ask you to please leave a comment (even a quick one is very appreciated) to let me know how I'm doing. Thanks!  
_

* * *

Sitting at the head of the table, Alex slowly sipped from his glass of Cyrodiilic brandy, while his eyes scanned the rest of us seated before him.

Only two escaped his scrutiny. One was Viro, who leaned back in his chair that was positioned just behind Alex's right shoulder. His arms were crossed, as well as ankles on outstretched legs.

He looked bored out of his mind.

The other was Rune, who had chosen to sit alone, off to the side of our table, as far from the rest of us as possible. A dimly lit lantern was perched on a crate next to him, and he angled the book he was engrossed in towards the light. We did our best to ignore him, as he did us.

I was seated in one of the chairs along the wall, so I could view the entire room. I hated having my back exposed, not knowing what was or could be behind me. Though I know this was probably one of the safest places for our kind in all of Tamriel, old habits are still hard to break.

Glancing at the group of eleven, I noted that were all here except the Khajiit. Crazy cat was probably loaded up on skooma and passed out under a rock somewhere. Damned if I could figure out why Alex kept him around. From my short time observing the crew, it seemed to me that he was at best useless, and at worst, a liability.

But what really caught my attention was that Adrien had broken policy by taking the seat at Alex's right hand. I found this intriguing.

Viro, as second in command, had correctly followed the protocol for official meetings when positioning his chair. But Adrien's seat should have been occupied by a higher rank than his own. Such as, and usually, the Advisor to the Guildmaster—oops, I mean Crewmaster, or whatever Alex calls himself…

I snuck a quick look over at Rune, who even in the uncomfortable silence still hadn't bothered to look up from his book. To oblivion with the rules. Though he was the Advisor, a rank that was almost equal to Viro's in importance, he obviously wasn't about to compromise his dignity by having to sit among races so vastly inferior to his own.

But still, there was Salyar, the crew's enforcer. Or even Lucan, their diplomat (or 'negotiator', as Alex liked to refer to him). Either one of them outranked Adrien, and therefore earned his seat.

But Alex seemed to take no notice of this.

_Could a change of officers be coming? This could be meaningful…_

My thoughts were interrupted when Alex finally spoke.

"I'm glad to see everyone made it here." Though his voice didn't indicate that he was pleased, but rather it was just as he expected.

"I know this post-midnight meeting is cutting into your prime business hours," he smirked. "So, I'll get right to the point. As you know, or should know, a few days ago Queen Ayrenn of the Aldmeri Dominion issued a decree which effectively opened up the main Summerset island to_ all_ citizens of Tamriel for the purposes of visiting, immigration, trade, and so on…"

He paused to take another sip from his glass before continuing.

"What I'd like right now, from each of you, my esteemed colleagues, are your thoughts and ideas regarding this situation."

With that he leaned back in his chair, and waited for a response. The room fell deadly silent, as everyone exchanged hopeful glances at each other to see who would answer him. Being a mere observer, and the only one present who was not an actual member of the crew, nothing was expected from me.

I watched with mild amusement.

A snort of derision came from the high elf, as he turned the page of his book.

The corners of Alex's lips pulled up slightly. "Thank you Runilkar, but I'm already well aware of _your_ opinions regarding this matter."

Alex was the only one who ever called him by his actual name. The rest of us simply referred to him as Rune. Not because it was easier, but just because we knew it irritated him so.

Rune responded no further.

After a minute or so had passed, Alex softly sighed. "So, no one has a single thought about this?"

He paused a beat. "Look, it's not like I haven't said this before, but okay, I'll say it again. Political neutrality is good thing. It's good for business, therefore it's good for us.

However, political ignorance? Not so much."

Of course he nailed it.

It wasn't that his people were afraid to speak up. As far as guild- errr… that is, crew-masters go, he seemed to be rather open-minded, fair, patient and non-critical. He encouraged his members to speak honestly, whether they thought it was something he wanted to hear or not.

'All day long, people lie to me constantly. And for free. Why should I pay anyone to do it?' he would ask.

I suspected the real problem was that they either hadn't heard of this decree before now or perhaps as myself, heard about it but hadn't given it much, if any, thought at all.

Summerset island was quite a distance from the mainland. It was also inhabited completely by the Altmer, who much like their anti-social kinsman sitting here alone with his book, wanted as much to do with us as we did them. So, who really gives a skeever's tail about what's going on over there?

Without shifting position, Viro spoke up. "It's an opportunity, and one that we'd be foolish to ignore."

His voice indicated a level of boredom to match his appearance, as his eyes scanned those of us at the table. He was speaking to us, not to Alex. It then became clear that those two had discussed this earlier, as Alex had obviously spoken to Rune about it as well.

He continued. "We need to move in, and fast. Many from all over the mainland are already on their way, hoping to get their foot in the door before someone over there comes to their senses and slams it shut."

"Precisely, Viro." Alex leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. "There's a lot of gold on that island. _A lot._ We're talking amounts probably only rivaled by Imperial City."

He winced slightly as he said it. It was only a fraction of a second, but I caught it. "At least how it was…" he added softly.

I felt a pang of sympathy. Up until that point I hadn't considered how the three banners war in Cyrodiil may have affected Alex, Viro, and Lucan as Imperials.

I tried to imagine if it was my homeland that had been torn apart and destroyed. If it had been Solitude or Windhelm that had been so badly demolished that no one could even reach the city limits to assess the actual damage, as I heard was the current situation with Imperial City.

This would be like a dagger permanently driven through my heart. The pain would never go away. Even if the dagger was removed, the would may very slowly close, but would never completely heal.

_Political neutrality is not the same as ignorance, and certainly is not the same as not caring..._

"Anyway, you get the point." Alex continued, "It's all there for our taking, as long as we jump on it quickly.

I've been doing some extensive research and have put together what I believe is a solid plan. A plan that each and every one of you will have a part in."

Now it was Lucan who winced, just as Salyar and Severin both released a low groan in unison.

Having swallowed the remainder of his brandy, Alex placed his glass back on the table a little more firmly than he would've usually done.

"Look, I know you're all busy, that you have a lot going on right now. I understand that. However, I'm asking you to make this a priority, and find some room in your schedule. I assure you, in the end it will be well worth it."

There were a few murmurs of reluctant agreement. It was an inconvenience for sure, but they knew that Alex was almost never wrong about these things. Not to mention that in the end, they also knew that they had no choice.

"Good." Alex leaned back in his chair with a tight-lipped smile. "What I need right now, is for two of you to head out to the island right away to start setting things up. One will leave tonight, the other tomorrow or the next day."

The room became quiet, as glances were once again exchanged all around.

Then a soft voice seated on Alex's right spoke up, "I can go tonight."

Adrien turned to Alex to await his reply.

It came quick enough with a slow shake of his head. "Thank you Adrien, but you'll stay here. Runilkar will go."

Now everyone turned their attention to Rune, who was still absorbed in the pages before him. It must have been some fascinating reading. I could only hope that perhaps it was a guide on socially acceptable manners and etiquette, but I seriously doubted it.

He turned a page and simply replied, "Send Adrien."

"No. I'm sending you." Alex's voice remained low, but more firm. He wasn't going to let the Altmer forget who was in charge here, especially not in front of the others.

He continued, "These are your people. You know the culture, as well as the unwritten rules. We need to move quickly, but discreetly. To connect with the right people, while avoiding the wrong ones.

Not to mention, the plan requires someone who can blend in seamlessly, not a nehbra who'll attract everyone's attention just by walking through the marketplace."

Rune surprisingly gave in rather quickly with an exaggerated sigh. "Very well, as you wish… And it's pronounced nebar-ra."

And again a heavy silence fell over the room. If it hadn't, I might not have heard Amaris breathe a whisper to Elsonia sitting beside her, and across the table from me. "What's a 'nebar-ra'?"

The young Bosmer responded with a look of uncertainty, just as Rune suddenly slammed his book shut startling a few, including myself.

He stood up quickly, and finally addressed the rest of us with his eyes. "Every single one of you in this room." His voice dripped with disdain.

Then not bothering to wait for a response, he abruptly took his leave with a level of haughtiness that could only be achieved by an Altmer.

Once certain that he was indeed gone, Amaris, with her usual amount of eloquence, expressed ever so exquisitely what most of us were thinking.

"Pfffft… elves…."

Then quickly catching herself, she turned back to Elsonia. "No offense to you, of course. You're nothing like him."

"It's okay." The wood elf offered her an assuring smile. "I understand, and none taken. The Altmer are a breed of their own."

"Of course they are. The Gods know that no one else is willing to breed with them." Amaris quickly responded in a simple, matter of fact tone.

I couldn't help but chuckle at this, along with the others. Alisiah, who was in the middle of sipping her drink when she heard this, suddenly spewed a mouthful onto the table as she broke out giggling. Her normally fair Nordic skin flushed bright red as she quickly began to wipe it up.

This raised the volume of amusement among us even more.

"C'mon guys, I'm sure he didn't mean to be so abrupt. He's probably just in a hurry to straighten out his affairs and start packing."

If you didn't know Lucan, you would have believed from the infliction in his voice and dead pan expression on his face that he was being sincere.

But by the way he pulled up the left corner of his mouth just slightly, we knew better.

"Yes, I'm sure that's the case," Salyar added in such an exaggerated condescending tone, that it made the Redguard almost sound like an Altmer himself. "He just can't wait to finally be among those who are truly worthy to appreciate and bask in his brilliance."

A chorus of laughter, snickers and snorts then broke out all around, except for the head of the table where two remained conspicuously silent.

Viro looked downward, studying the back of his hand with mild interest.

Alex's arms were folded to his chest as he leaned back in his chair. His lips were pressed together in a tight, indulgent smile. It was clear that he'd allow us only moment or two more to relieve the tension, then it would be back to business.

"Okay, that's enough." Alex leaned forward again and started shuffling through the papers before him.

"I still have a lot to cover here, and Id like to get this done and get some sleep."

_He does sound very tired. I wonder when was the last time that he actually-_

"Observer."

Thought broken, my head snapped in his direction.

From the very first day that I arrived, he'd always referred to me by my job description, rather than my name. I guess such a right was only earned after becoming an official member of his crew.

"Yes?" I responded quizzically.

_What could he want from me?_

His face was expressionless, giving me no clues. "I think it would be a good idea if you went as well."

_Huh? Why would he want—Well, he's up to something of course. He needs to get me out of the way for a while, make sure I don't see whatever it is that he's planning as it happens…_

I decided to play it naïve.

"Why me? I mean, of course I have no objections, but of what use to you could I possibly be there? I know nothing about the island, nor have any contacts there."

I offered him a helpless shrug and a small, most sincere smile.

The smile he returned told me that he wasn't buying what I was selling.

"Well, your job is to observe our operations, right? So, what could be better than to witness how it goes right from the beginning?"

I was unprepared to argue it further and knew it was pointless. His mind was already made up.

_I'll come up with something. Find a reason to suddenly come back here in a day or two and take him by surprise..._

"Okay, that makes sense. I'll go. I always wanted to see the Summerset island anyway." I lied, not even bothering to completely cover the tone of my voice. There was no point, he would have seen through it anyway.

"Good. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I hear it's very beautiful there." His voice dripped with false sincerity and his eyes and smile oozed smugness.

_It's fine. Let him think he won. I can be patient, play it his way. Ill find out what it is that he's hiding as soon as I get back. He only thinks he can get one over on me._

_How dumb does he really think I am?_

_I know there's no good reason to send me there. Exactly what does he expect me to observe?_

_Rune and a bunch of his equally pompous, stuck up high elf kinsmen prattling on about how frustrating and tedious it is for them, being of the divinely superior Altmer race, having to actually interact with the intellectually deficient and utterly primitive inferior races?_

_Nothing new to observe there. I've heard such conversations many times before. The Altmer are nothing, if not predictable and consistent._

_Of course, one or two may feel a moment of pity for the poor Nord sitting among them, just quietly observing. There's always that one or two who will offer their 'consolations'._

_"No offense meant to you, of course. One cannot help what they are born into, but still I'm certain that you are probably rather adept at fishing with your bare hands, or clubbing a sabre cat to death and skinning it with a rock, or whatever it is that your people actually do…"_

_Ugh... Anything has to be better than listening to—OH BY THE GODS! NO!_

It just occurred to me.

_He doesn't really expect me to permanently accompany that arrogant arse of an Altmer throughout this trip, does he?_

_Sitting in on a meeting or two is torturous enough, but if I had to spend every single minute with him… I swear I'll end up putting my dagger through his heart, if he even has one, in the first twenty-four hours._

_And that's an optimistic estimate. In reality, it will more likely be the first twelve hours._

I groaned internally.

_What fate worse than any plane of Oblivion did I just agree to?!_

I looked to Alex, perhaps a bit more wide-eyed and paler than I was a minute ago.

_How should I approach this?_  
_  
_"Viro." Alex didn't bother to turn around, he just stared at the paper in his hand.

Viro remained silent and motionless, with only his eyes shifting in response.

As if he somehow knew he had his attention, Alex simply said, "You go as well."

A quick flash of confusion appeared on Viro's face before it settled back into his usual neutral, bored expression. I guess this small detail was left out of their earlier discussion.

"Why me? I'm just a nehbra."

He intentionally mispronounced the word as Alex had. I threw him a smile to let him know I found it amusing. He smiled back.

_Watch yourself. Yes, he has his charms and is certainly attractive, but it's never a good idea to mix business with pleasure._

_Okay, maybe not a good idea to actually do, but certainly fun to think about…  
_

Alex apparently chose to ignore this jab.

"Oh, I think there will be plenty of use for a nebar-ra such as yourself." Eyes on his notes, Alex still wouldn't turn to face him, but continued to speak.

"A large portion of our business there will be in high quality jewelry and gems. Runilkar can deal with legal and social issues, but we'll need your expertise with the actual product."

Viro responded with a barely discernible nod of agreement, and almost as if Alex had eyes in the back of his head, he seemed to acknowledge this and began jotting down some notes.

This was my chance. "Alex?"

He briefly glanced in my direction before resuming his scribbling.

I put every ounce of effort I could into sounding nonchalant. "Would I be accompanying Rune or Viro?"

I summoned up the most neutral expression I could muster, ignoring the ongoing chant in my head.

_Please Viro, please Viro, for the love of the Gods and all divine, please Viro…_

Alex looked thoughtful. "Hmmm… good question, I hadn't thought about it."

_Liar._

He cupped his hand under his chin and placed his index figure to his lips. "Which one indeed?"

_C'mon already, am I doomed or what?!_

"Well, I suppose it really doesn't matter to you either way.."

_Did that bastard just wink at me?_

"You can go with Viro."

How I managed to keep up my stoic façade I have no idea, because inside every fiber of my being had just collapsed with relief.

"Okay, that's fine with me."

At that point, Viro stood up and looked directly at me. "C'mon, lets go."

I got up as well, and after throwing a quick wave goodbye to those at the table, I went after Viro who was already heading down the stairs that led to the common area of the outlaw's refuge.


	2. Chapter 2

Not even an hour later, I was sitting on an outside bench on the deck in front of The Waxing Crescent tavern/inn, my few personal belongings packed neatly in the bag at my feet.

Through the thin, poorly constructed walls I could hear the dark elf musician inside playing his lute and singing 'Blood for the Pact'. It was a strange choice of song considering this was Aldmeri Dominion territory, but no one seemed to object. He didn't sound half bad, especially when compared to some bards I'd heard in other cities the size of Rawl'kha.

But then again, Rawl'kha couldn't really be compared to these others. For example, judging from the position of the moons I guesstimated the time to be 3:30 am. Most inland towns of this size would be in full slumber right now, but in this aspect Rawl'kha was more akin to a large port city such as Daggerfall or Windhelm at this hour.

I should be hearing nothing but the wind shaking the tree leaves, maybe the rustling of grass as a skeever or two darts by trying to hide from the scent of a senche that the wind may carry.

Certainly not singing, general laughter and conversation from the tavern patrons, still awake and going strong, and one male voice heard above the others-

"You remember those bandits? The ones in the fort?  
Someone came through and rousted them out. Returned the artifacts to the Arkay clergy.  
Impressive, I guess... I'm certain that I could have done it! If I wasn't so busy."_  
_  
A high elf of course. I didn't need the ability to see through walls to know this. Their vocal pitches varied, but they all had that same posh and uppity accent with attitude to match.

"This one is buying, selling, trading!" called out a Khajiit vendor in the market area. Even in the middle of the night, most shops were still open for business and the locals still wandered around.

_Guess that's one way to guarantee your store doesn't get robbed. But I suppose it makes sense. The main inhabitants of Rawl'kha, the Khajiit, are naturally nocturnal people, even putting great importance on the moons in both their lives and religion._

Next door to where I sat, I could see a few tables still had candles burning on them in the open rest area of the Fighter's Guild. The guild members hanging about were much quieter than the tavern crowd, most likely discussing jobs they had done and potential work to come.

Yes, it seems that many were still out and about. Except the one person that I wanted to see.

_Where is Viro anyway? I could've sworn when we parted ways to collect our things that he said he would meet me in front of the tavern in an hour's time. How much things could he really have to pack anyway?_

Despite the noise coming through the walls, I heard the soft footsteps directly behind me. Quickly rising to my feet, I turned to face not Viro- but instead a set of glowing blue eyes and a flash of white fangs.

"Friend and observer from Hew's Bane! This one thought it was you sitting here all alone." The solid black coated khajiit practically purred.

It was Ak'saz, a lower ranking member of Alex's crew and the only one who was absent for tonight's meeting. From the way he swayed slightly on his feet, I knew I was right about him being on another skooma binge. Drinking too, as I noticed the bottle of white-eye whiskey in his hand.

"Hello Ak'saz." I answered, perhaps a bit coolly. I actually had nothing against the cat personally, but I did find his unprofessionalism to be irksome. I couldn't believe that Alex didn't feel the same.

"Missed you at the meeting tonight." I couldn't help but add.

He looked down for a moment, shaking his head slowly before raising it again.

"This one earlier notified Master Alex along with his most sincere apologies that he could not attend. There was other business to be done, more interesting business than that which happens in land of snooty elves."

"Hmmm…" was my response. I hated to admit it, but as cloudy brained as the cat was right now, I could see his point.

"Besides, the high elves are very unkind to khajiit," he continued. "They are cruel and call it 'humor'. They throw lightning bolts at this one's feet and make bets among each other on how high he can jump from them. And they think it fun to pull one's tail... hard. They have no respect for any who are not their own.

This one does not care to do business with such a hateful people and feels bad for poor souls that Master Alex selected to go."

He did indeed sound sincere. I sighed.

"I'm going." I informed him.

The cat's eyes momentarily widened with surprise. "You? This one did not think Master Alex would send one who is not a member to take care of his business? Most interesting, is it not?"

"Well, I won't be going alone. I'll be accompanying Viro… and Rune is going as well, although separate from us."

He took a long swig from his bottle, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he nodded.

'That makes more sense. Though this one now wonders if he underestimated the importance of elf business if Master Alex thinks it necessary to send his two highest rank officers there.

But still... this one can not say he is very sad to be free of Master Rune, even if only for a short while. That one has a very sharp tongue."

I nodded my agreement.

_He's really not a bad sort. It's just a shame he doesn't realize that he's wasting his potential and that he might actually be considered for a long overdue promotion if he ever sobered up…_

"So then, it is Master Viro you seek at this late hour, yes?"

"Yes, have you seen him?"

He nodded. "This one has seen him just minutes before he seen you. Master Viro is nearby to the refuge entrance just below the lizard's house. If you hurry, you may catch him."

The lizard's house? He has to be talking about Hears-the-Wind's house, directly across from the Rawl'kha bank. Hears was the only argonian I knew of to own a house in Rawl'kha, and I remembered that there was an entrance to the refuge right below it.

_Is it possible I misunderstood our meeting place? Perhaps Viro has been there all this time wondering why I was taking so long to arrive? No matter, I'll go to him now._

I grabbed my bag and hoisted it over my shoulder.

"Thanks Ak'saz, you have a good night." My voice was a bit warmer now than it had been when he first arrived.

"You as well, friend from Hew's Bane. I wish you a warm and safe journey." He smiled showing me a glimpse of his fangs again.

I returned the gesture and started to head down the stairs to the path that led to the argonian's house, when I heard Ak'saz call out to me.

I turned and noticed the smile was gone, and a more somber expression had replaced it.

"Just one thing. Do not let snooty elves pull your tail… or anything else."

"I won't." I assured him with a smile.

With a quick wave, bottle still in hand, the cat then started to make his way unsteadily towards the tavern door.

I headed down the path.

_Or anything else? What did that mean?_

_Probably just added it as an afterthought when it occurred to his skooma addled brain that I didn't actually have a tail to pull. It meant nothing._

_But if it meant nothing, why did it feel like it did?_

_Ah, never mind. It's nothing, there's more important things to think about. There's the argonian's house. The refuge doorway should be hidden somewhere in the weeds below._

As I approached, my eyes scanned the shadows and darkness for Alex's desirable, but yet untouchable, second in command.


	3. Chapter 3

At first glance I saw nothing at all. Then my eyes were drawn to a small flick of movement next to one of the back pillars supporting the house that sat above. Stopping in place, I tried to identify it.

A tail, but one much heavier and thicker than that of a khajiit.

_Argonian._

I gazed into the shadows, as only a highly skilled thief was capable of doing.

It wasn't Hears-the-Wind. This Argonian was female. Her armor was as black as night, very form fitting, but light enough to be flexible for ease of movement. Her hood blocked her face completely from my view, the only way I knew she was Argonian was from the tell-tale tail.

I stared deeper in, willing the shadows to allow me more sight. Yes, I could now see the insignia on her chest piece and shoulder cops.

_Dark Brotherhood. On a mission maybe? Perhaps. Well, it's no concern of mine- wait, what was that? She's not alone?_

I directed every drop of my focus towards her, and the shadows very slowly and reluctantly began to pull back, as if fighting to keep their position. Whoever her companion was, they had far more strength than she when it came to drawing the shadows in for concealment.

I could make out a form. Human. Male. He was facing her in conversation that consisted of silent whispers.

Concentrating as much as possible, I narrowed my eyes to slits and directed my focus in one last burst.

_Viro. I should have known._

It wasn't much of surprise. Before I left for this assignment, I was given a dossier on each member of the crew. Viro's was probably the lightest, we had at least four times more information on Alex than we did on him. But the one notable item listed among the extremely few placed him as a member of the Dark Brotherhood for several years, though the exact dates and his rank were unknown.

Also not mentioned were the circumstances of his leaving. I'd thought it odd because in that guild once you're in, it's usually a lifetime membership. Of course, 'lifetime' for them is often a much shorter duration than the rest of us, but still someone just quitting is almost unheard of.

_There has to be some sort of interesting story behind it. Maybe if the opportunity presents itself on this trip, I'll ask him about it…_

They appeared to have finished their discussion and I saw her pass him an object wrapped in a dark cloth, which without even looking at it, he quickly shoved into his bag.

I started to walk towards them, and she turned to face me.

_What in oblivion is that?!_

She was wearing a mask that covered the lower half of her face. Not the typical black cloth ones often used to conceal one's features. This one was just weird. And disturbing.

It was made of a hard material. Metal? Bone? Designed to look like a snarling grimace that went from ear to ear, all I could see was a long row of extremely sharp teeth. Not Argonian teeth, and surely not human.

They were all much longer and of equal length to each other. Thin, wavy and very sharply pointed like daggers. Teeth that had a singular purpose, to pierce and tear at flesh. Daedra-like teeth. Very disturbing…

She took a couple silent steps back from me, then disappeared as the shadows enveloped her.

Viro remained.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes, I've been ready." I felt a slight shiver run through me, despite the warm weather. Those teeth… I knew it was just a mask, but still I suspected I'd probably see them again in a nightmare or two. "Who was that?"

"Just an old friend. C'mon, let's go." He headed straight to the hidden trap door in the ground that was just one of the many leading to the outlaw's refuge we had just left earlier. Crouching down, he glanced around quickly before swinging it open.

"Why are we going back? Did you forget something?" I asked.

"Itinerary." He started to lower himself down into the hole in the ground. "Need to know a few things such as which boat we're taking and from where. Also, we'll need passes. Unless he expects us to crate ourselves and pretend to be cargo."

I chuckled at the thought.

_Attractive, charming and a good sense of humor. Thank the divines I'm going with him and not that ill-tempered, arrogant—Wait, why is he looking at me like that?_

He had paused, standing on one of the top rungs of the rope ladder that led down. He wasn't smiling back. The look on his face was more like one who was mildly puzzled.

"Ummm… You are just kidding about the cargo, right?" I asked uncertainly.

His expression had returned to its usual one of neutrality, and he offered me a quick one shoulder shrug before continuing his way down the ladder. I followed, pulling the thick, wooden door shut behind me.

_Of course he's kidding. He's just messing with me for fun. He couldn't possibly be serious… could he?_

_Well, either way, there'd better be passes. There's no way I'm travelling to Summerset stuffed in a dark, cramped wooden box._

The possibility of having to share a box with Viro occurred to me, making the thought a little more palatable. But still…

We had reached the bottom and started to head down the dark and damp corridor that contained a lingering odor made up of dirt, mold and cat urine. I crinkled my nose and started to remember why this entrance was rarely used.

_If this smells so bad, imagine what the hold of a smuggler's ship must be like._

_Oh, c'mon already. It was just a joke. You know that under absolutely no conditions whatsoever would Rune ever tolerate such a means of travel…_

"So," I kept my voice low knowing how easily sound travels in corridors such as these. "Are you saying that right now, Rune is probably curled up in a box waiting to be loaded onto a ship?"

I couldn't help but smile at the thought. Not only because it was completely ludicrous, but also just the idea of the tall, obnoxious Altmer being crammed into a crate was rather amusing.

We had reached the end and Viro easily hurdled the three foot high rock pile that served as a barrier to the main refuge area.

Following, I heard him snort, though I couldn't tell whether he thought the idea amusing as well, or if he was just realizing how ridiculous it all sounded.

"No." He responded, quickening his pace. "Rune most likely just conjured himself a portal, stepped through it and arrived in Alinor instantly. He's probably sitting in a cozy tavern right now, having a good meal and drink so don't be too concerned for him."

_As if I actually was?_

"Be more concerned for us," he continued. "Because unfortunately, we don't have such options."

With that, we had reached the stairs leading up to the meeting room and headed in.

Everyone was now gone, except for two. Alex was still where we left him, and Severin had taken up Adrien's seat beside him. What remained of the bottle of brandy was now on the table between them, along with a couple of half full glasses.

"…your brother?" Alex inquired.

Severin looked down for a moment, shaking his head slowly. "I relayed your offer, but he refused, as I told you he would." He quickly paused before adding, "And to be honest, I think it's for the best."

Alex's only response was to nod silently.

The older Breton continued. "He's not one of us. Draven follows a different path. Your gold, well anyone's gold really, means nothing to him."

"That's a shame. His services could be... useful." Alex mused.

I listened with interest, wondering if this was part of whatever Alex was planning in my absence.

"Maybe in the short term. In the long term, it could end up destroying us." Severin shrugged. "Even Rune agrees that it would be a mistake to—"

"What is it, Viro?" Alex interrupted.

We'd been just standing in the doorway, and now Viro approached the table. I followed behind him.

"You can add my agreement as well." He and Severin exchanged glances.

Alex sighed. "Yes, well, thank you for making a special trip back here just to inform me of this. Unless there's something else?"

"I need the itinerary. And passes of course, or is this going to be a repeat of last time?"

_Last time? By the Gods, he actually was serious about this._

"Oh, c'mon now, where's your sense of adventure?" Alex teased with a sly smile.

"Probably still in that crate at the bottom of the Sea of Ghosts where I left it when the ship sank." He answered dryly.

Severin snickered. I groaned internally. I now had my definite answer.

_He better damn well have passes for us…_

Still smiling, Alex reached into the stack of papers before him and extracted an envelope, which he slid across the table in our direction.

"Okay, but again, that wasn't my fault. How was I supposed to know the Windhelm guard would detain the original ship?"

Taking the envelope, Viro shrugged. "And again, I never blamed you for that. I understand it's just the price of doing business. But just the same, that's a payment I'd rather not have to make twice."

He peered inside the envelope and partially pulled out the two passes so I could see them, before slipping them back into place.

_Two passes. Of course, I was right about Alex just having some fun with me at the end of the meeting. He knew all along I was going with Viro, and probably found it amusing to watch me sweat it out for a few minutes. Real funny…_

"Fair enough. Everything you need to know is in there. The important thing is that you and Observer leave here—"

I folded my arms.

_Time to make a stand._

"I have a name, you know." I informed him.

He cocked an eyebrow in my direction. "Yes, thank you, but I was already aware of that."

Then turning back to Viro, he continued. "As I was saying, you and Observer

_Sigh_

should leave here before dawn. Make your way to Woodhearth, the ship is docked there. The rest of your instructions are included, just pay close attention to the notes I made on the last page.

It was a last minute deal, so I didn't have a chance to discuss it with you. However, it shouldn't be an issue, only a mild inconvenience perhaps. Just make sure it gets done."

Nodding, Viro tucked the envelope into the inner pocket of his armor and motioned me to follow.

We left the refuge through the more common entrance, and silently headed west across the Crescent river with the first breaks of dawn coming up behind us.


	4. Chapter 4

We walked along in silence, cutting through the plains of Reaper's march rather than taking the established roads.

I wasn't sure about this decision, and not because I was afraid of what creatures might await us behind the next boulder. This area was mostly inhabited by wasps, which even though capable of delivering extremely painful stings that would easily pierce through our armor, were also rather dull-witted and slow thus presenting little threat.

Unless they attacked in a swarm, but this was rare.

Skeevers I have dealt with since childhood. They are just as much a plague in Skyrim as the rest of Tamriel, and more of a nuisance than anything. I figured the worst we could run into would be a small pride of sabre cats, or perhaps a black bear.

But even then, with a finely sharpened dagger on each hip, and another strapped to my right thigh, none of these concerned me in the least.

I looked over at Viro, taking a mental inventory of his preparedness as well. He too, had his daggers positioned the same as mine, as well as a fourth one strapped to his back, partially hidden by his bow and quiver of arrows. No doubt, each one of them saturated with some deadly and most likely painful poison.

I didn't need first hand knowledge of this. It was commonly known among the crew that Viro's two areas of specialty were fine jewelry and gemstones, which for good or bad had earned him this trip, and the creation and use of some of the nastiest poisons known to man, mer or beasts.

Perhaps this is what earned him his place in the Dark Brotherhood, it certainly would be useful in that line of work.

So, it wasn't the winged or four-legged creatures I was concerned about. It was the two-legged ones.

The ones who wouldn't attack on sight, but would certainly make note of and report to the nearest authorities the two lone figures wearing thieves' armor (which to them is any armor made of black leather) that were obviously either fugitives or up to something. Otherwise why would they be skulking their way over the plains rather than staying to the roads as any rational, honest traveler would?

I considered the idea of mentioning this to Viro, but I didn't want him to think I was questioning his decisions.

_Besides, I'm sure he has his reasons, and if he has to explain them it would only make me appear as a completely foolish rookie to him, once I see that he's right. Probably better to keep silent…  
_  
And I did keep silent, until I noticed him veering northward rather than towards the south as expected.

"Are we heading to the Malabal Tor gate?" I asked uncertainly.

"Seems that way." He answered as if he wasn't the one controlling our direction and kept walking.

"Wouldn't it be faster to cut through Grahtwood? Maybe we could even stop in Elden Root for rest and supplies?"

"I have a better place for that in mind." He stopped and turned to face me. "Besides, I think it's for the best that I avoid Grahtwood, and especially Elden Root for a while."

He threw me a wink before turning back, and continued on his way.

_Damn, he's even more attractive when being coy._

"What happened in Grahtwood?" I continued to follow him.

He chuckled softly. "Even if I told you, you'd never believe it. I'm not sure if I even believe it, and I was there."

_Ok, now I have to know. Sounds like it'll be quite the tale, making this so far boring journey a bit more interesting._

"Try me. You'd be surprised at some of the things I've—"

He suddenly halted, as did I alongside him, and silently pointed ahead with his chin.

In a distant clearing, appeared to be a makeshift campsite consisting of a few tents pitched in a semi-circle, a larger main tent at 12:00.

Viro dropped into a crouch and quickly made his way closer, taking cover behind a boulder.

I did the same, once again taking up position next to him.

I could see now the inhabitants. Six or seven mages of various races gathered in the center, their attention being drawn to something I couldn't see.

Viro flashed me a grin and raised an eyebrow. "Game?"

I smiled back. "You're on."

The 'game' he referred to was a popular one among thieves travelling in pairs, though if it had a proper name, I was not aware of it.

It was usually played by setting an arbitrary time limit, most often an hour, during which we would separately work on pickpocketing or stealing all we could.

When the time was up, we'd meet and examine each other's newly collected acquisitions. Whoever's collection was more valuable, as priced by the fence, would win the game- earning a ten percent cut of the loser's take.

Of course with a playing field as small as this campsite, an hour wouldn't be needed. This particular game would be a quick one, which was needed if we were to make it to Woodhearth in a decent amount of time.

Viro immediately began sneaking his way towards the tents on the left. He made only the barest attempts to shadow himself, apparently choosing to sacrifice complete invisibility for speed.

I crept my way towards the tents on the right.

_Probably no need to shadow myself either. They're all so consumed with staring at whatever is in the center there, and they probably wouldn't notice me if I walked right past them._

If you weren't a thief, the use of shadows could be difficult to understand. They will most often, but not always follow the individual's will. We could draw them to us, in effect making ourselves invisible to all except those who were highly skilled in their use and could will them to dispel and allow sight into what they are hiding.

Exactly how much sight, or how much cloaking, they give depends on the how skilled the individual directing them may be.

Of course, the use of shadows for concealment is a very useful tool in our profession. But it doesn't come without a cost. When the shadows cling to you, hide you, they slow down your speed significantly. It's not like there's weight attached to you, but more like the feeling of trying to move or run underwater. So, one will make a decision before hand if it's worth calling them or not, based on the situation.

Viro obviously made his choice, and I was ready to choose as he did. But after a few more steps forward, getting a better look at what I was going into, I began to reconsider.

_This isn't a pack of dim-witted bandits here. Mages are generally much sharper, not to mention usually more deadly, when threatened or angered. And one... two… aye, at least two are Altmer, often the sharpest and deadliest kind of mage._

_Calling the shadows to me would give Viro a significant advantage, being able to cover more area quicker, but it still doesn't mean he'll win the game. It's not about who steals the largest quantity, but the largest value. I could still get lucky here..._

I glanced at the group in the center.

_And better safe than sorry. It would slow down our trip tremendously if as a result of being spotted by one of them I was encased in a block of ice or turned into a skeever or even worse…_

I quickly concealed myself, and as I approached the first tent on the right, I saw Viro exiting the second tent on his side and heading for the next.

_Damn, I better find something really good, or he'll be through this whole camp before I can check out two tents._

I slipped inside and was relieved to find no one else in there. There was a bedroll, 2 packs, and a locked trunk, which I went for first. I picked the flimsy lock in mere seconds.

Must be owned by an apprentice mage. A more accomplished one would have most likely sealed their belongings with a magical ward making it near impossible for someone like me to open.

I collected several soul gems, not terribly valuable, but still always in demand. I lifted the cloth that was beneath them and even in the low light I could see the glitter of eight colorful stones. Could be valuable gems, or maybe just some magical crystals worth much less, but the time to sort this out was later.

I snatched them as well and shoved them into my bag.

The first pack I opened contained nothing but clothing. Disappointed, I pushed it away and grabbed the second pack. I was much heavier than the first

_Could be promising…_

It contained four different colored bottles, each unlabeled and filled with an unknown liquid. I quickly debated myself.

_Most likely worthless, and will just be extra weight to carry.  
Might be worthless, but then again, some potions are extremely valuable.  
But what's the chances that these are? More likely it's just skeever blood or draugr urine or some other gross nonsense that mages like to experiment with.  
But I won't know until I have it checked, and I can always toss them away if they turn out to be nothing. Besides, though mages they may be, they don't look like necromancers do they?  
At least I don't think so, but how can I tell? I've never actually seen a necromancer, and hope it stays that way-_

_Damn it, Viro is probably half way though the main tent by now._

I stuffed the colorful bottles in my bag and pulled out the last item, a book. It appeared old, the pages yellowed at the edges and the cover well worn. It was written in some foreign language I'd never seen before. It figures…

_Most likely worthless, and will just be extra weight- NO, not again. I'll probably lose this game, but it would be nice if I could do at least two tents before Viro finishes it…_

I shoved the book into my bag as well.

When I slipped outside once again, it was then I saw what held the mages' attention.

There, in the center of the loose circle they had formed, was another mage. Sort of…

It was actually an apparition, a spectral image.

I'd heard of this before. That some extremely high skilled masters of magic could actually project an image of themselves elsewhere. Like using a portal, but not in a physical sense. They could not cast, or be attacked, but they were aware of their surroundings and could carry on a conversation with those nearby.

Yes, I had heard of this, but it was actually the first time I've ever seen it with my own eyes. I momentarily forgot about the game, which I probably lost anyway, and studied the transparent, glowing hooded image speaking to the others.

"Nonsense, dear. Just send down one of our most capable assistants." He spoke in an extremely bored and condescending tone and accent.

_Great. This makes three high elves here. Though at least this one won't be a problem._

And with a wave of a ghostly arm and a flash of white light, he completely vanished. The female Altmer he was speaking to, began to object "But the cult.." And quickly became frustrated as soon as she noticed he was gone.

"Aaargh… You crazy old wizard!" she shouted at the now empty air before her.

The other high elf female walked over and placed her hand comfortingly on her kin's shoulder and spoke in a soothing voice. "Andewen, you must not upset yourself so. You know well enough by now how Master Telenger is, he just—"

Andewen interrupted her. "I know, it's just that I wish he—" She then interrupted herself, as something off to the side caught her attention.

"You there!" Andewen shouted, "What in oblivion do you think you're doing?!"

I shifted my attention to the direction of hers, and was horrified to see Viro, who had just exited the main tent, freeze in his tracks.

_Shor's bones! She's spotted him!_

Viro rapidly pulled the shadows in to cover himself, disappearing as quickly as Master Telenger, or whatever his name was, had.

It was so fast that the others who had turned to see what Andewen was yelling at saw nothing at all. They turned back to her in puzzlement. But she wasn't so easily fooled.

She called out to the front of the main tent. "Oh no you don't, you sneak thief! You came to the wrong camp, my friend!"

She held her right arm out before her, fingers outstretched, palm facing down. Then slowly twisted it up. A glowing white ball of light appeared in her fingers. She quickly made a fist, as if squeezing it then her fingers sprung open, in a splayed position, pointing at the area Viro had last been seen.

The ball of light shot forward, and my heart stopped briefly as I recognized that spell. It was every thief's most feared one. The anti-stealth spell.

A white beam of light suddenly broke from the ground maybe 25 or 30 feet west of the main tent, reaching straight up a good 15 feet into the air. Then just as suddenly as he had vanished moments ago, Viro now reappeared at the base of it- the shadows ripped away by the spell.

With nothing left to cover him, or slow him down, Viro broke into a run.

I panicked when I looked back to Andewen. Both arms outright now, she was making some sort of pass with her hands over each other that looked similar to how we used to make snowballs as children in Skyrim.

But that was no snowball she had in her palms. It was a huge fireball. She meant to roast him, and anything else within a 20 foot radius of him, alive.

Terrified, I blindly grabbed the closest thing to me, a basket of apples, and with all my strength flung it straight at her.

As I quickly recloaked myself, I saw it slam straight into her upper back, causing her to stumble forward as a sudden explosion of flying apples had the other very confused mages ducking and running away.

The fireball had left her hands, but instead of hitting Viro, it veered sharply right as she pitched forward and shot through the roof of the main tent, which quickly burst into flames.

I didn't wait around to see what would happen next. I began making my way out of the camp in the same direction Viro had gone.

Back on the open plains, taking care not to kick up any dust that would give away my position, I could still hear the mages shouting behind me.

"More water on the fire now, before we lose it all!"

"How many of them were there?!"

"He got into my tent too, all my crystals are gone!"

_Damn, guess they aren't gemstones. I lost this game for sure…_

And then the shrill scream of an outraged Altmer.

"My ring! Those sons of a daedroth! The skeeving bastards stole my ring!" Andewen cried out in fury, before calling out in my direction, "I hope one day something that means the world to you is stolen away, and may your souls rot in Oblivion forever!"

I stayed cloaked, until I was sure I was far enough away to safely reveal myself.

Finally standing upright, I looked around. Trying to get an idea of where I was, I spotted a figure dressed in black leather sitting atop a boulder on the side of the road. The figure folded his arms and smiled down at me.

_Viro._

* * *

_For those who play Elder Scrolls online, you can visit the mages campsite in Reaper's March just north-east of the Falinesti Autumn site. There, you can probably find Andewen and Master Telenger's image may appear as well, and who knows, there may even be a life-saving basket of apples nearby ;)_

_In the meantime, if you're enjoying the story so far please let me know, and any constructive criticism is welcome as well. Thanks!_


End file.
